


Couldn't Do It Without You

by Fnuggi



Series: Little Duck [1]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, I just wanted to get it done, Missing Scene, Pre-Relationship, but it's been sitting unfinished in my WIP folder for so long now, proofread but not betaed, tbh i kinda hate this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-12 06:49:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13541982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fnuggi/pseuds/Fnuggi
Summary: A character study of my Ryder, Catherine and her relationship with Liam.





	Couldn't Do It Without You

The first thing Catherine does after she’s given the Tempest, is go back to Habitat-7. She knows that it’s still a dangerous place, even with the vault working again, but her dad’s body is still down there and it’s not right to leave it unattended to.  
  
At first, Catherine had only planned to take Liam with her, but when Cora had approached her about it, she hadn’t had the heart to say no. No matter what her feelings about her dad and Cora’s relationship may be, the older woman still deserved closure.  
  
Still, she can’t deny, that a part of her resents Cora for her relationship with her dad. Of course, Catherine knows that it’s not her fault that her dad wasn’t around, and that even when he was, he didn’t know how to be a father, but there’s still the tiniest part of her that can’t help it.  
  
The weather on Habitat-7 has only gotten marginally better since they were last here. They still have to dodge plenty of lightning bolts, but luckily, the vault is easy to find. It’s odd, but when they finally make it to the vault, the first thing she notices about her dad, is that he looks peaceful. His eyes are closed and there’s a small, serene smile on his face.  
  
Catherine isn’t sure how she feels about it.  
  
Few words are exchanged as they gather the materials they need for the funeral pyre. Progress is slow and it’s well into the afternoon - or what passes for afternoon on Habitat-7, anyway - before they’re done.  
  
As they watch the pyre burn, Catherine finally lets herself cry. She can feel the tears pooling under her chin where her helmet connects with the rest of her armor, but she doesn’t care. Instead, she lets herself be swept up in the torrent of emotions and it’s only when she feels Liam’s hand in her own that she comes back to herself.  
  
He squeezes her hand once, a silent gesture of comfort. It’s such a small thing and Catherine can feel her throat go tight. She manages to squeeze his hand back, and she hopes he’ll understand what she’s trying to say, even if she can’t find words for it.  
  
Later, when they’re back aboard the Tempest, Catherine finds herself in Liam’s room. There’s two empty beer bottles on the table and she’s slumped against Liam.  
  
It’s odd. They’ve known each other for less than a week, and yet, sitting like this, with his left arm slung over her shoulders and her head resting on his shoulder, feels so right.  
  
Catherine is sure Lexi would have something to say about how quickly she has gotten attached to Liam. Probably something about how it’s a result of the trauma she has endured and maybe she’s right.  
  
But Liam is the only one who hasn’t once doubted her abilities as the Pathfinder. He’s also the one who checked on Christopher while she was out and the one who stayed with her during that time.   
  
Liam has been her rock, her safe harbor, in the chaos that her life has become since she was brought out of cryo and she’s eternally grateful for that.  
  
 _I couldn’t have done any of this without you_ she thinks, but she doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t have the energy and she’s worried that even if she did, it’d still be too early for confessions like that.  
  
Catherine can feel herself starting to drift off, the exhaustion finally catching up with her. It’s not just the emotional exhaustion from today either, but from everything that has happened ever since she was brought out of cryo.  
  
The last thing she registers before she falls asleep is Liam shifting against her so he can pick her up and carry her back to her room, and for once, Catherine falls asleep with a smile on her face.

**Author's Note:**

> One of the things that annoys me the most about the game, is that beyond a single line of dialogue, Ryder isn't allowed to deal with the death of their dad, so this was my attempt at writing a scene to rectify that.


End file.
